Tehran, Iran, April 26
By Mehdi Sepahvand -- Trend:
The Islamic Republic of Iran is taking all possible measures to retake its $2-billion money last week given out by a US court.
Both diplomats and the legal system of Iran are doing whatever they can to take the money back, Iran daily newspaper reported April 26.
The US court on Thursday ruled the transfer of nearly $2 billion of Iranian assets to the American victims of terrorist attacks, including the 1983 truck bombing of a Marine Corps barracks in Beirut. Investigators of the court concluded that Iran was responsible for that attack, which Tehran has denied.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry denounced the court ruling an act of "robbery".
The country's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said a special committee has been launched by the presidential office to pursue the case.
"We know the US government to be responsible for safeguarding our assets. If any hand is lain on our money, we will claim damage in due time," Zarif said.
Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran has already raised objection to the court ruling before US interest section in Iran, Sweden.
Meanwhile, Director of Legal Affairs at the Iranian Presidential Office Mohammad Jafar Qanbari Jahromi said preliminary steps are taken to plea against the ruling in international arenas.
Now that the US court has given the case its final ruling, Iran has the opportunity to plea against it in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), he said.
Iran has the right to claim damage as it can internationally be considered as the party that has suffered, the official said.